Castle Rock State Park, one of the several Bay Area parks targeted for closure. (www.parks.ca.gov)

SONOMA COUNTY (KCBS)— Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law that gives non-profit organizations a chance to operate some of the 70 state parks on the closure list.

State Assemblyman Jared Huffman, who authored the bill AB-42, said some state parks may be too big for non-profits groups to operate, but remained optimistic about the new opportunity.

KCBS’ Dave Padilla Reports:

“We have parks threatened for closure that now have a new tool for communities and parks officials to work with,” Huffman said.

Elisa Stancil of the Parks Alliance of Sonoma County said she’s “thrilled” that the governor signed the law and that the alliance has put together a park management plan.

“We do not look toward operating the parks in exactly the same way they’ve been operated because they’ve been on a shoestring with a skeleton crew for decades. This is heartbreaking,” Stancil lamented.

She added that five parks are expected to shutdown in her county, including popular Jack London State Park, which attracts visitors from different parts of the world.

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